In the past decade, laparoscopic surgery, or minimally invasive surgery of the chest and abdomen, has permeated the medical field. Over seven million laparoscopic procedures are performed annually in the United States. Types of laparoscopic procedures have continued to expand and now include procedures for all organ systems. Differing from traditional open surgery, laparoscopic surgery involves several small incisions versus one large incision. Advantages include reduced hospital stays, less pain and shorter recovery times. The incisions, each measuring approximately 0.5 cm-1.5 cm, are called port sites. The incisions hold an introducer port through which a fiber optic camera and specialized laparoscopic instruments are inserted into the body cavity. Instruments are designed to replicate the ergonomics and function of their open surgery counterparts within the context of the limitations of introducer ports and laparoscopic requirements to allow for intuitive use.
A simple, but necessary, function in most surgeries is the ability to efficiently suction fluids from the body cavity and around the surgical site. Spot suctioning, which is the suctioning from the tip of a suction instrument, is particularly useful when the fluid is localized and free of surrounding debris and tissue. It has inherent drawbacks when large volumes of fluid surround organs as the tip is likely to become occluded. To resolve this issue, a pool suction instrument was developed and has had long-standing use in open surgical cases. The pool suction instrument has an inner cannula for direct spot suctioning and an outer-sleeve with multiple holes, where the outer-sleeve covers the inner cannula. When the inner cannula is covered, fluid drains through the multiple holes and is suctioned through the inner cannula. This reduces the chance of clogging and allows for the efficient suctioning of large volumes of fluid.